1969 – Abdulsalam was appointed commander of the 3rd Mechanized Brigade in Kano.

1975 – Abdulsalam enlisted first into the Airforce but quickly switched to the army.

1981-1982 – Served as a Nigerian contingent to the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

1984 – Promoted to colonel in August 1984. Later, he was appointed General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division, Enugu, and became a member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC).

1993 – From Enugu, he was moved to Kaduna, as GOC of the strategic One Mechanized Division. On November 17, 1993, he was appointed chief of Defense staff, the position he held until his appointment as the current Head of State. Abubakar is one of the few generals in the Nigerian army who rose to the top without holding political office. He has held only command and military positions, and has, in general, stayed out of the political limelight.